Knights end season on tear after?OT?loss at Maryland

Head coach Dan Donigan’s team earned its first Big East bye
since 1999.

The Rutgers men’s soccer team walked off of Ludwig Field on the
Maryland campus nearly a month ago following arguably its most
bitter defeat of the season.

The Scarlet Knights went above and beyond their expectations during
the matchup, forcing the No. 2 team in the nation into overtime
despite playing a man down following a red card. But a single goal
early in overtime ended the Knights’ hopes of an upset.

Head coach Dan Donigan noted after the game that the team, despite
the loss, could go into the rest of the season with a swagger
because of its performance.

Little did he know how far the swagger would take it.

Photo: Noah Whittenburg

Senior forward Ibrahim Kamara and the Knights took 10 shots in a
2-1 loss to No. 2 Maryland before a 5-0-2 unbeaten streak.

Fast forward to today, when the Knights (9-5-3, 6-1-2) enter
postseason play unbeaten since the Maryland matchup. They also have
the benefit of the program’s first Big East Tournament first-round
bye since 1999.

In Donigan and the Knights’ minds, it all started in
Maryland.

“No doubt about it in my mind, absolutely that Maryland game was a
signature game for us,” Donigan said. “Certainly that was a
signature statement point in our season that kind of told our guys
that they can play and they can compete as long as the stay
focused.”

Donigan noted the biggest confidence boost the Knights received all
season did not even come with a victory — it was the fact that they
scratched and clawed against the second-ranked team in the country
despite having the odds heavily stacked against them.

It is that determination that highlighted the latter half of the
Knights’ season, according to Donigan.

“Even though we did not get the win or the result, once [junior
midfielder] Robin [Brown] got that card we ended up playing down
for about 20 minutes into the overtime. That shows a lot,” Donigan
said. “If they play hard and play with their emotion and energy,
but also play with their intelligence, they can do anything. If you
can get that combination, you can be very competitive, and that is
what this group has been able to do ever since.”

Looking back, the players acknowledge the Maryland matchup as the
biggest shift in their season. When Maryland midfielder John
Stertzer found the back of the net for the win, it was personal for
each and every member of the Knights.

“I thought we were going to get at least a tie that game. After we
got the red card in the second half we just kept pushing and
pushing,” said senior forward Ibrahim Kamara. “We were unfortunate
going into overtime with the red card and were all very
disappointed with the loss, but it made us keep pushing to do
whatever it takes to win all our other games.”

Win they did.

The Knights charged out of the gate following Maryland with four
victories in a row en route to a 5-0-2 undefeated streak to end the
season. Three of the games were shutouts for goalkeeper Kevin
McMullen, a feat the junior did not accomplish prior to
Maryland.

Three more results came against nationally-ranked opponents. The
Knights were 0-2 against ranked opponents before the Maryland game
and did not register a single goal against either team.

The revamped and revitalized Rutgers team is a stark contrast to
the Knights squad of last year, which notched only one win in its
final 11 games.

“It is really hard to sum things up in terms of how far the program
has come in a year,” Donigan said. “I’m very happy with the
progress we have been able to make. I think anyone in their right
mind would be able to see the progress and the positive things that
have happened with our program.”